Nightmare's Reverence
by Narshean Princess
Summary: Her fear is my fuel, a deadly addiction. There is no escape, yet, do I want to escape?" -Sephiroth. A tragedy, a romance, a terror. SephirothxAerith with a bit of ZackxAerith as well as CloudxAerith. Basically, SxA. In Seph's perspective.
1. Chapter 1

"_**Nightmare's Reverence"**_

FFVII Fan Fiction

What was she to me?

She was just a regular person. Nothing special.

She was one of _them_. One of those idiots. Traveling around with them, claiming that they were going to save the world by putting a stop to my plans. I'll show them. I'll show them they can't escape the fires of Hell.

Especially her.

Especially Aerith. My toy. My plaything. My angel. My woman. My only escape.

We had met many years ago, before my untimely secretion in Nibleheim's mako reactor. Zack Fair had introduced us one Sunday morning, deciding it would be fun to make me the third wheel on one of their dates.

The idiot.

Had he known what chain he linked together around Aerith, he wouldn't have let us ever meet. The fates were unkind, and on my favor. The minute our eyes met, I felt a strange stirring between us. Her eyes upon mine, we clicked. She was a Cetra. I could feel it in my blood that she was a Cetra. I'm not sure how I came to understand that, but that little link made it near impossible for me to turn away from her. To shut her out.

I loathe her entire being. That innocence surrounding her was water to my fire. What I hated most were her eyes. The eyes that held the door open to Eden's Garden. The eyes that held truth and naivety. The eyes that would one day be my undoing.

"Sephiroth," My name on her tongue was sickeningly sweet. I turned to look at her, drowning in those green eyes of hers. "Would you like half of my cake?"

"No, thanks." I replied callously.

"Why not?" Aerith tilted her head, stubborn curls brushing against her bared skin and face. She always had to know everything behind my words and actions. Always asking me 'why' and 'how'. I thought it annoying at first, but soon grew used to it, always expecting it to my answers to her questions. Call it a sort of game I came up with.

"I don't like sweet things." I held back a smirk. Her eyes flashed with an understanding and she shrank into her chair, asking Zack instead if he'd like half of her cake. She knew what I had meant. I don't like sweet things, and she was sweet. Put two and two together. What she heard was, "I don't like you."

It was the start of a seemingly beautiful friendship.

While Zack was busy at work, she would come in and drop off his lunch. Then, Zack would show her off to his comrades. One particular day, after the usual delivery and boasting was made, Aerith decided to come into my office uninvited and without knocking. She hadn't thought about the important work I was currently under.

"Knock knock." Said a cheerful voice. "Hello, Sephiroth."

I looked up and took note of her garb. Today, she was wearing a knee-cut yellow dress with a flowing skirt. It looked good on her, except for that stupid ribbon in her hair. She always wore a pink ribbon in her hair! I never understood why and felt it my place to not bother asking.

"Good after morning, Miss Gainsborough." I said rather indifferently.

"Never heard that greeting before." Aerith mused, entering my office fully. She was holding a thin box in her hands. "Is it new or old?"

"What do you think?" I asked, bored. "What are you doing in my office?"

"Hm? Oh, I made some extra rice cakes and thought you'd like some?" She tilted her head and smiled sweetly. I suspected that she purposely made extra just to annoy me.

"I told you I don't like sweet things." I replied, waiting for the 'why'.

"Why not?" As expected, she asked it. "I thought everyone liked homemade things."

"Sweet things hurt my teeth." I dropped my pen and rested my head on my hand, simply watching her with my enhanced mako-green eyes. "Apparently, Miss Gainsborough, you thought wrong."

"The thought always counts." She said cheerfully. "Just take it. You can give it to the dogs if you don't like it. I made it with red bean paste."

She was tempting me like she would a horse to meat. I simply wasn't moved to take her offer. The more I refused, the more she pursued. Eventually, she ended up sitting on my desk and stubbornly refusing to move until I took a bite of one cake. With her sitting on my desk, on my work, no doubt, I couldn't simply ignore her by doing another task. She had me cornered, basically.

Of course, I always found a loophole to escape through. Standing, I walked casually over to my bookshelf, finding a particular book that had caught my eye the other day. She saw my move and rushed in between the bookcase and myself.

"One." Aerith's eyes had a mischievous gleam to them. "Just one, Sephiroth."

"Miss Gainsborough-" She cut me off.

"Please."

I found myself staring into her eyes. Her hands were still gripping the box tightly. In that moment, she looked so desperate, pleading with her eyes. It was as if my refusal to her cakes would bring about her very death.

"Please, Sephiroth…" Her eyes sparkled with what looked like the premonition of tears. I choked. If I refused again and made her cry, I would be known as a much more heartless man than I already am. Further more, Zack would hate me. I couldn't afford to lose Zack's friendship. The thought of losing him was frightening. He was the only friend I had. "Please…"

I closed my eyes in defeat. "Alright." I said, taking a deep breath afterwards. "Just one."

Her eyes in that moment had rammed my heart and snapped the heart strings. To think a pair of green could disarm me so easily. She had no idea the pain her eyes would bring.

"Zack's been overworked lately." I said to Aerith one fine afternoon. I had found her at her home in the Sector 5 slums. The slums, themselves, were disgusting and wretched, but her home was, actually, very nice. Compared to the norm many neighborhoods were, Aerith's home stood out just as easily as a lit candle in a dark room does. Just as easily as Aerith did. "I thought I'd give him the time to take a nap."

"I see." Aerith leaned on one of the fences that surrounded the small garden around her home. They were fake flowers, naturally. You never found real flowers or grass in Midgar. It was the lack of life stream in the crust. The flowers were yellow and white. "So, you wanted to hang out with me by yourself?" She asked with an amused grin.

"No." I mentally rolled my eyes. "I just came by to tell you, so you wouldn't worry if he missed your date. Besides, he told me to."

There was a small pause between us. Then, Aerith broke it with a thought. "You know what I think?"

"No. What do you think?" I just had to ask.

"I think you purposely overworked him so you can spend time with me and try to woo me." She had that girlish grin on her face again.

I narrowed my eyes and glared at her. "Miss Gainsborough-"

"Geez, we've known each other for how long and you're still addressing me formally?" She scolded softly, ignoring my glare. "Just call me Aerith."

I was silent for a long while, simply staring at her, trying to make her afraid of me. It wasn't working. Was this girl afraid of anything? Nothing I did worked for her, like they did regular people. Just hearing my name would strike fear or reverence. Some didn't even speak my name, afraid that I would pop out of thin air and kill them for misuse. This girl… was different.

Clearing my throat, I began by addressing her properly. "Miss Gainsborough-" The broad interrupted me again! This was starting to infuriate me.

"Aerith."

"Miss-"

"A-e-r-i-t-h."

I took a long pause again. She wasn't going to drop it. If I started to call her by first name, then it'd open a door to friendly banter. I was not ready to open that door. She was too much like Zack, yet not like Zack at all. I was beginning to kill her in my mind.

"… Aerith."

"There!" She smiled brightly, putting her hands together in a pleasing manner. "See? I knew you could do it!"

"May I speak without being interrupted?" I asked coldly.

"Of course." Her hands hid behind her. "What was it you were saying?"

"I didn't overwork Zack just to spend time with you." I finished, still glaring at her, irritated. There was just no end to this girl. "I was just delivering a message. Now, if you'll excuse me."

I turned to leave when I felt one of my arms pulled back. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw her holding me back. Holding my hand with both hers, she looked up at me seriously with those eyes. There wasn't any playfulness in her being, which surprised me.

"Yes?" I wanted to get this over and done with, so I could get back to my work. Shinra had just recently given me another assignment and I wanted to get it done quickly.

"You want to hang out with me today?" Aerith asked, tilting her head slightly with a small smile. I hadn't seen her with a small smile before. It was very enchanting.

We had grown unintentionally close. In fact, we were so close I never wanted her away and fought time with all I had to keep her near. My chest was burning with an unimaginable pain, my mind felt like it couldn't take anymore of this agony. What was this warmth she was surrounding me with? I wanted to push her away, wanted to get away from this strange, new feeling. But, no matter how hard I pushed, I intentionally pulled back. I wanted her like a newborn wanted his mother.

I wanted to cry. I wanted to scream. I wanted out. I wanted to escape from this wretched world. She would not have it. She would take my hand gently and run her thumbs over my knuckles gingerly. I always liked the attention she gave me. It made me feel good.

Her attention was all on me. Her eyes were mine, and mine alone, to gaze upon.

I grew jealous of Zack steadily through out our relationship. He did not deserver to put his arm around her shoulders, to laugh with her, to make her laugh, to make her smile, to receive her kisses on his cheek. He didn't deserve any of it. He wasn't under constant survey, or continually prodded and pricked with needles. He wasn't injected with Jenova Cells and made into a proud and isolated warrior.

He knew what love was.


	2. Chapter 2

"_**-Nightmare's Reverence-"**_

FFVII Fan Fiction

"How long will you be gone?" Aerith asked Zack, her eyes undistracted and focused. For a long moment, the two young love-birds gazed into each other's eyes, as if it were their last chance to remember the color.

"It'll only be a month or two, a year at the longest. It won't be too long." The Soldier grinned, optimism in his entire stance. "I'll come back and I'll take you on that picnic outside of town, just like you've always wanted."

"Promise?" Aerith tilted her head, a smile etching her pink lips.

I stood back, watching from a distance. Their seemingly final farewell was none of my business, as much as I wanted it to be. The way Zack was holding Aerith's hands was a bit too friendly for my taste. If I had my way, I would've hit Zack away, but no, it wasn't my place. I had to play the indifferent role.

"Zack." I called to him, ending a kiss before it had even begun.

Zack's lips thinned and he looked up at me longingly. I could see it in his eyes. He wanted a little more time. "Alright, well, I got to go, now. Training for the mission and all. Briefing." He turned back to Aerith, smiling brightly despite the lack of bliss in the air. "I'll see you soon, okay?"

"Okay." Aerith nodded, her eyes dimming as a rain cloud spread across her mind. It looked to be the premonition of disaster. "Good bye, Zack."

"See ya, beautiful." Zack snuck a kiss on her cheek before bounding up to me. The sneaky little bastard. "Alright, Seph, ready when you are."

His optimism was sickening. I nodded. "Report to headquarters. I'll be with you shortly."

Zack nodded, waved to his special girl, then left. We were alone. My gaze lingered on her fragile form as she stood stock-still, staring off into the distance where Zack disappeared. The desperation in her form looked too fairy-tale like.

Before I could register that she had dropped her princess stance and walked up to me, she had spoken. "Why are you staring at me, Sephi-chan?"

Sephi-chan was a nickname born from watching too much TV. "Chan" meant 'little' and was another form of adoration. It didn't bother me too badly. As long as she called me that when we were alone and never in public.

Looking down at her, my arms crossed over my chest and my back pressed against the wall, I fought for an answer that wouldn't give anything away. She answered for me.

"Am I too cute to look away from, or is there something on my face?"

"Nothing like that." I replied calmly. It was strange to see her talking to me after such an emotional farewell, even though Aerith hadn't bothered shedding a tear. It felt too awkward. "You're worried."

"No." The brunette shook her head, the curls bouncing to and fro. "I know he'll be fine. I'm more worried about you."

"About me?" That was a surprise. Why should she be worried about me?

"Yes." Aerith smiled brightly and hid her hands behind her, a move she used often. "Worried about you."

"Why?" I couldn't help but ask. I wanted to know. I had the right to know.

"No reason." She shook her head. "I should be getting home. I'll see you sometime later, Sephi-chan." The girl turned and headed for her home. I watched her.

I watched her. Observed the pink bow bobbing with the bounce in each step. I couldn't tear my eyes from her.

What was so special about her? Why couldn't I stop staring?

She was…

What was she?

The next morning, I had taken the liberty of a nice, long stroll to get away from my duties. I occupied my time cleaning up the mess that prowled the streets, and not thinking of the mission that was about to start. Zack was busy and tired of the relentless focus he had to put on his work. In the meantime, I was free to go about my own business however I liked, with no interference.

My stroll took me to a broken down church. I had seen it quite often, known of its existence, yet thought nothing of it. Today, however, brought about a certain bit of curiosity. The curiosity fueled by an unknown motivation. I approached the church.

Placing a hand on the door left ajar, I pushed. Glancing inside, I saw a stream of light coming in from the broken stained-glass window, pouring down upon a figure near the pedestal, kneeling. The figure looked like an angel within Heaven's light.

Enchanted by the scene, I entered quietly. A song struck my ears, compelling me forward. The hum was simple, yet held its own beauty. I stopped at the edge, where the floorboards cut off. A patch of green was on the other side. My eyes wandered away from the broken glass, following the trail of light till a pure white flower entered my view. I stared at it.

Further, I noticed another flower, this one yellow, accompanying the white one. Next thing I knew, the entire floor of green was covered with white and yellow flowers. The figure was a girl. Her hair was chestnut, tied back in a messy ponytail, her bangs gently brushing against her light skin. The fragile rays of Midgar glittered off her, making her figure appear to be more fragile than a flower.

Her eyes, dark with a light of their own, turned up, then widened. A gentle gasp escaped her pink lips. My presence must've startled her.

"Oh!" Aerith stood up, a bit of fright on her face. "Sephiroth, it's just you."

At first, I was just as startled as she was. Then, slowly, my stomach unknotted and the decline of adrenaline began. "It's just me." I replied unconventionally. I felt strange.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, her hands laced together and pressed against her stomach. A small stream of pink embossed her cheeks. She was nervous.

"I happened to come by. What I wasn't expecting was to find you here." I took a step in the flowers, their silken pedals brushing against my black boots. "What are you doing here, and what are these… flowers?" I glanced down.

She opened her mouth, but closed it, as if having second thoughts. Her brows had furrowed in a scolding manner. Perhaps I had crossed the line when I took a step in nature.

"They're my flowers." Aerith's legs trembled, the knees pinning together. "I grow them here and sell them on the streets. You've seen me at my job before." Although her voice was firm and straight, her body language was the complete opposite.

I was five feet from her. It was only after I took a few steps over that five feet when she began to repel. Her back met up with the pedestal, her hands pressing against the old wood.

Already, I could see her thoughts in her eyes. She couldn't hide anything any longer. _What is he doing? What is he going to do to me? _The thoughts of a scared rabbit or lamb.

What was I going to do? A terrible image waltzed into my mind. I should hurt her. But, how should I hurt her? I could use psychology against her, drive her mad, drive her to the point where she would attack me. That sounded fun, but too difficult. I had to think of something effortless.

My hand hovered over Masamune's hilt, my fingers brushed against the slick sheath. Masamune was the very image of beauty. Its silver blade was thin and cold, reflecting the paleness of the moon and the very stars. Blood could never mar its beauty, but only enhance it.

The blade began to hum a song to counter the echoes Aerith had been humming earlier. That mystical song clang in the air, whispering sweet nothings to its listeners. The flowers themselves were humming the lullaby, and together with Masamune, created a beautiful harmony of the very Gods themselves.

The song enhanced the anxiety I was originally feeling, bringing back the knot to my stomach. I pressed a hand against the pedestal the girl before me was using as support beside her head, capturing a few flanks of dark hair and her pink bow.

Like a serpent, my eyes met hers, hypnotizing her, like my prey. I could hear her heart pounding heavily, color rushing to her face. She let out a soft sound. "Se…"

I tilted my head to the right and closed my hand around hair and ribbon. Pulling the items towards myself, I managed to pull her along with them. "Ah…"

These small sounds she was making only entranced me further. I brought hair and ribbon to my face, pressed my lips to them, as if kissing a gentle pedal, and took in the sweet scent. Her hair smelled like the very earth, with a mixture of jasmine, peony, daisy, and rose. My eyes closed as I took in a second breath.

"Sephiroth…" Her voice, sweet just like her natural perfume, called me away.

"Yes…?" I felt drunk, yet could think clearly. "What is it?"

We looked into each other's eyes for a long while. The light shimmered in her irises, twinkling like stars. Ever so slowly, her eyes drew half-lidded. She was just as enchanted as I was.

Her hand hesitantly reached up and gingerly took a strand of my silver hair. Mirroring what I had done with her own hair, she took in my scent. Watching her made my knees weak. The way her lips fondled the pale strands was hauntingly attractive. I could hear her breathe.

"You smell like blood…" Her small voice broke through my fascinations, as if a spell had been broken.

I pulled away slowly; releasing her hair and taking mine back. The song died, as did the mood. I felt hurt, as though she had just hit me hard on the chest.

_You smell like blood…_


	3. Chapter 3

"-Nightmare's Reverence-"

FFVII Fan fiction

This place was warm. An unfriendly warmth. It enraptured me, invisible hands wrapping around my legs, arms, waist, and throat, choking me in its hold. I couldn't breathe. I opened my mouth, fruitlessly gasping for air. Immediately upon opening my mouth, mako filled my lungs. I choked and chortled, finding no relief from the amount of pressure crushing my defeated sense of being.

I had been defeated, but not killed. Why was I not dead? Was it because of Jenova – mother? Was it because her cells within me kept me alive?

Of course it was. Although I had been hurled into the life stream by a young man's unnatural bounty of luck, I had not yet been torn to pieces.

The spirits of the dead were tugging at every molecule I held, yet I did not break. This was a fate worse than death. I could not scream, nor fight the enemies away, only float into nothingness and wait for my body to eventually fade away.

_Mother, save me!_

I thrashed, unwilling to give up. I will not return to the planet! I can't! I must fight the human race to return the planet to mother and the Cetra, the rightful heirs. I must. It wasn't a will or won't decision. I had no choice in the matter. It was what my life's destiny had in store for me.

My hope faded as time in an hour glass, the sand trickling down to the base of the canister. Mother had not responded to my silent cry for help.

It felt like months had passed, yet, I had no way of telling the date. I used this time to reflect.

Zack and I had gone to Nibleheim, to extinguish what was causing the recent rise in monsters as of late. There, the truth had been revealed. I had been structured in the same way those monsters have been. I am a monster.

A _monster_.

My world cheated me, stole what little self-confidence I had. After such a cruel twist in my life occurred, I went into silent solitude, studying all I could about my mother, Jenova. The J-E-N-O-V-A Project.

All the while, I had pondered why Professor Ghast never told me that I was the product of such experimentation. He had left early on in my life, when I was still just a boy. The only father figure I held of value, compared to that bastard Hojo. He was the only one who treated me as a human being and not a creature of study.

Such thoughts pierced my heart and wounded me. The gaping hole that had expanded over time, was recently filled with mako and something else. Something of greater value.

This warmth, this unnatural burning in my chest wasn't because of the mako. The mako was cold and icy. I could feel myself starting to freeze over, as if I were to be made into ice. This warmth wasn't from the planet, but from something, someone, I held very dear to me. I couldn't say what it was. A mixture of emotions that befuddled me.

Could it be… was it possible that it was… love?

_Child._ Cooed a sweet, caring voice. _My child. My sweet, sweet child. Sephiroth._

"Mother…" Slowly, my eyes fluttered open, the dark lashes framing my vision till I could fully pull myself out of sleep. Yes, it was my mother. She had returned to me, to save me. The corners of my mouth twitched into an upward curve, a gentle smile gracing my lips. The warmth burned stronger, almost to a hurting point.

_We have much work to do, my son._ My mother stroked my cheek fondly with an invisible hand. She lived within me, the closest to a person I have ever been and ever will be. She was my world and I vowed then and there that I would strive to take her to the Promised Land. The Promised Land would be our new home, where we would only welcome the Cetra and live in perfect harmony. My happy ending that would never come, I have later found.

"Yes, mother." I responded with a nod. "What will you have me do?"

_Simply take a small piece of me and force your will into it. We are one and the same. Combined with mind and cells. It will be like you taking a new body. Control that me like a puppet and have it do your bidding. Finding the Promised Land will be easier this way._

Ah, my mother, so clever, so scheming, so lethal. I tingled with excitement. A new skill! "Yes, mother."

This feeling in my bosom. Was this the feeling known as love?


	4. Chapter 4

"-Nightmare's Reverence-"

FFVII Fan fiction

"Sephiroth!" Came the cry of an ugly, old man. His mustache was mustard yellow and somewhat resembled a comb. Fat and round, his yellowed fingers removed the cigar he had earlier been chewing on from his mouth. "What are you doing here? I thought you were-"

"Killed." I finished. My footsteps were slow and quietly threatening. A hand on Masamune, I stopped in front of the man's desk. "President Shinra, it's been awhile."

"What are you doing here?!" Shinra asked in a startled roar at my calm approach.

"I've come to stop you in your quest for the Promised Land." I answered with a flick of my wrist. "There's no way I'm letting your greedy hands get a hold of it. Together, mother and I will travel to the Promised Land and destroy any who stand in our way."

"Mother?" The president sat back down, sweat erupting from the small crevices of his skin. "What are you going on about?"

"You ask too many questions, Mr. President." I made my way around his excruciatingly large and round desk, ignoring the sniffling man hiding behind a pillar, watching our every move and listening to our every word. "Just know that you won't live beyond this meeting."

"Sephiroth, please-" I cut his route of escape by grabbing his upper arm and bending him over the desk. Masamune drawn, I pressed it against his back, making him squirm and plead for his pathetic life. "Please! Don't kill me! Without me, the world can't exist! It needs me!"

"Needs you?" I laughed cruelly and pressed the head of the blade into his back, listening to him squirm and squeal like a little piggy on the slaughter. "This world would be better off without you! You've caused nothing but pain!"

His squealing and whining pleads starting to bore me, I ended his last words with a shortly powered stab, cutting through fat and muscle. The sound of organs sloshing and blood spilling, I took in the smell, chuckling softly to myself.

Sounds of running footsteps caused me to over react. Who was still in this building I hadn't killed? The clone of myself and his friends, of course. Or should I say, Aerith. When I had first seen her in one of the cells, my first initial reaction was to grab her and leave the building. Mother wouldn't have it. She told me killing Shinra was my first objection. The girl came last.

Like a good boy, I obeyed. The wrath of my mother was not desired, but more her love. I wanted her to see how good a child I could be. So, with no questions, I obeyed.

I looked up from where I had killed the man and waited to hear what mother had to say. _Hide, my son. We cannot let them see us just yet._

"Yes, mother." I nodded and left Masamune, hiding in the shadows the darkness of the moon made.

Then they arrived. First the puppet, then a martial-artist female, and finally her. I watched Aerith closely, ignoring the other two. Another man, this one was tall and dark skinned, and a lion-beast, arrived on the scene. I completely tuned out their obnoxious voices and their rather annoying conversation, simply keeping my focus on Aerith.

She was as beautiful as I remembered. Perhaps even more-so. The years had been good to her. Her figure was frail, still, but had a bit more curve to it. She still wore the silly pink ribbon in her hair. Her hair seemed to have grown a few inches, still tied back in a ponytail, the tail twisted like rope and tied with a second pink ribbon, this one a little less obvious than the top one.

Her eyes hadn't changed a bit, from what I could see with the distance between us.

After the initial scene, I watched as the group filed out of the room. I was a bit down after seeing Aerith vanish from my sight.

Walking over to the dead president, I grabbed hold of Masamune's hilt and tugged, the sound of flesh slicing with the action made me shudder with pleasure. That was a sound I never got tired of hearing. It was, what you would call, my ecstasy.

Upon leaving the building, mother safely with me, I headed for Junon, to reunite mother's body with her head.


	5. Chapter 5

"-Nightmare's Reverence-"

V

Now what?

I pondered vigorously for an answer. I had already gone through with the first of my plan, and already, the pawns were moving.

President Shinra was dead, making his skilled and charismatic son president. Rufus Shinra would be a hard-headed leader, who would run the company with an iron-first, draining his workers of all their skills till not a drop was left. Once they grow too weary to fight fully against Avalanche, they will crumble at the slightest tap.

As for Avalanche, they will fight against Shinra getting to me. Therefore, destroying Shinra. Along the way, I will lead them to the Temple of the Ancients, where they Black Materia will fall into my grasp. However, I won't be able to use it, lest it gets to my isolated body.

I have weaved a tangled web, where all were my playing pieces and none were spared. The world was my playing board, and I would win, becoming an everlasting God, ruling all whom were beneath me.

Once everything was set and done, I will be in the Promised Land, with mother by my side.

My only concern was Aerith. Where did she fit in my cleverly thought out plan?

A voice spoke to me, then. _She is a Cetra, my child, a further nuisance to our plans. It would be wise to slay the girl._

Cetra…

I remembered, then, during my readings I had come across that word several times in the form of 'Ancients'. I was of the Ancients, therefore, Aerith and I were similar in blood. We could renew the Cetran race. 

Yes! That was it!

Aerith would join me. Surely she felt the same about humans as I. Only a fool would want to spare this cruel and disgusting world. Everyone deserved to die.

Of course, I would be the one to save them from such an insolent life. The people, once dead, will return to the Life Stream, become purified energy, and I will be in the center of that energy, absorbing it to be reborn as a God! Aerith will play the role of my Goddess and nurturer of the pure children we will have. Those children will grow and be raised under my authority, becoming a beautiful people. 

Yes, this was ideal. We will start the world over, much like Adam and Eve in the tales of old.

I became excited. "Mother! We will recreate the Cetran race!" 

Again, mother advised against taking Aerith to wife, saying that her only role would be to stop my pursuit of God-hood. For once, I ignored her.

The next step in my plan was to travel to Junon and cross the sea. Whatever Shinra or Avalanche did would further my progress, so, not much thought went into the matter.

What I did not expect was to come face-to-face with my rival.

Once on the cargo ship, I stayed hidden, awaiting the most opportune moment. It came shortly after departure.

I watched the rebel group move and converse. One of their comrades, a scrawny Wutaiin girl, lost whatever she had for breakfast that morning.

Honestly, it was disgusting. She would be one of the first to be sacrificed for my new world.

Then, she caught my attention. The little beauty I had become so fond of over the years. Aerith. She was wearing a Shinra uniform, and might I admit, looked pretty cute, although the uniform itself was an abomination. I was tempted to tear that horrid uniform off her and revert her to the usual pink attire she would normally wear. Really, how could she stand wearing that?

Just then, another soldier, similar in wear, approached Aerith. I strained to hear what they were talking about, managing to tune the puking sounds coming from the Wutaiin out.

"Did you see that big airship?" Aerith asked the young soldier.

"Yeah. I didn't think it was going to be that big." The soldier answered.

His voice sounded familiar. I crept a bit closer, wanting a better look/hear.

"Do you think they'd give me a ride?" Aerith asked, her voice so full of dreams. Her face showed how eager she was to get a positive answer. So full of fantasies.

The young man hesitated, then responded, as though unsure of what to say in that moment. "I'll take you sometime."

"Really!" The brunette bounced up and down, hands held before her, excitement boiling in the deep crevices of green irises. "You have to keep your promise! Promise, promise me!"

The soldier said nothing, only shyly nodded, and slipped away. It was probably the jealousy, or something more subconscious, but I wanted to tear that young man's throat out.


	6. Chapter 6

"-Nightmare's Reverence-"

"-Nightmare's Reverence-"

VI

"Sephiroth!"

Who's annoying voice had said my name? Looking up from my last kill, I met the eyes of the puppet. I found myself pondering over what his name was. Really, I should know this.

Growing a tad frustrated, I decided to ask him and get it over with. "Who are you?"

"You don't know?" The young blond looked positively shocked. "It's me! Cloud!"

"Cloud?" That name sounded familiar. A name that Zack would've mentioned.

"Sephiroth, what are you doing here?" Cloud asked, raising a hand as though to further emphasize the importance of the question.

I wasn't listening. Though, I must've said something, because Cloud continued questioning me. Upon my ignoring him, my eyes flickered over to Aerith, who stood a bit too comfortably by Cloud. Far too comfortably. Though, I was finally close enough to see how mature she was. I was rather impressed by her adult figure. Yes, she was very attractive.

There was no time to think of such things. Mother needed her body, and the clock was ticking.

Raising my arms, I pushed off the ground, releasing a small part of my new body. An arm of mother – something to distract them.

It worked.

Walking along the grassy trail, my mind wandered. How infatuated I had become with the young woman. I couldn't get her out of my mind.

I found myself wishing that I could get a chance to speak with her alone, tell her of my plans and ask her to be by my side, to desert her newfound companions and join me in my quest.

I didn't have long to ponder. After speaking with a man named Dio, the owner of the famed Gold Saucer, I made my way past Gongaga and back to the place where it had all started.

Nibleheim.

Standing on the outskirts of the town, I was amazed to find it rebuilt to the last detail. My curiosity flaring, I stepped into the town's boundaries and entered the mansion. It was still as dusty as I remembered. Not one thing changed, except for the recent increase of monsters.

Dragging my hand along the wall, leaving one long trail of swept up dust, I stood before the fake wall. Pressing down on it, it moved on its own, revealing a secret staircase. The staircase was spiral, the steps made of wood, which were incredibly old and close to breaking. They creaked with every ounce of weight.

Once downstairs, I walked slowly to the back of the secret laboratory, where I was conceived at birth, and sat upon the desk. I would wait for the stupid puppet and my chance to speak with Aerith. I was hoping it would just be us two. Already, I was imagining how our conversation would turn out.

She would tease me about how silly I've been, how long I had been away, and I would counter with some clever come-back. In the end, she would agree to come with me, saying it was a terrific idea and she was looking forward to not being alone in the world.

Ah, if only it would go so smooth.

I was wrong, however. I should've figured the woman would be more stubborn than she let on to be. There was no way she'd seek to wipe the scum from this planet.


	7. Chapter 7

"-Nightmare's Reverence-"

"-Nightmare's Reverence-"

VII

The air was warm, the sun starting to set. I stared off past the endless horizon of water, watching the sun's slowly dimming light reflect like perfect dancers along the ocean's surface. It was beautiful. Water had it's own aptitude for the arts when it came to those absolute perfect ripples reverberating from one end of the world to the other.

Waves crashed against the coast, misting my seemingly small form. I felt so weak compared to the ocean. It was mighty and eternal, while I was here for whatever amount of time. That is, if I didn't succeed in my conquest for God-hood.

Footsteps cracking twigs signaled the sound of her arrival. I turned only to see the woman I had been obsessing over. Aerith.

She looked flushed and out of breath. She was breathing hard, hair matted to her sweaty face, sprinkles of dirt aligning her dress and patches of her skin. I stood back, waiting for her to speak.

"You wanted to speak with me." She said, taking a step forward. She was still out of breath, obviously wanting to get this over and done with so she could go back to her Cloud.

Cloud had created a deep hole of hate within me. He was keeping the poor flower girl all to himself, being the typical bodyguard and not letting his charge out of his sight. Which was why I was surprised to find Aerith got away from him in order to seek out my calling.

As you may have expected, I wasn't able to speak with Aerith privately during the little chat in Nibleheim's Shinra Mansion. In fact, the only time we actually got to exchange words was during out confrontation within the City of the Ancients.

I had made sure to give her a private note, asking that I see and speak with her in private. From the looks of it, she had received and answered my calling. I was nervous, to say the least, on what her answer may be to my question.

"I'm glad you came." I said softly. The wind picked up my hair in great heaps, curling each silver strand around my deeply toned body.

"Don't tell me you called me out here to kill me." Aerith's face fell, as though she were annoyed with me.

"Is something the matter?" I asked, a bit worried now.

"What has gotten into you, Sephiroth?" The brunette's brows furrowed, her lips forming a frown. It pained me to see her lips forming anything other than a smile. "You used to be so clever and brilliant, and now you're on world-conquest to become a God? What's the matter with you?"

"You're angry with me?" I bowed my head, visibly showing the hurt her disapproval was causing.

She paused, her brows returning to their regular position. Taking a few meager steps, she placed a hand on my shoulder. "No, not angry." She said softly, moving her hand gently onto my cheek. "I just want to understand."

Releasing a held breath, I took hold of the hand upon my cheek, holding it gingerly up to my lips. Kissing the fingers tenderly, I looked into her marvelous green eyes. Yes, she had grown in more than beauty. There was wisdom within those deep pools of endless green light. It made her all the more attractive. I had thought her eyes were beautiful before, but now, they had grown to a stunning effect.

"There is something I wish to ask of you." I said, lips still pressed to her flesh. Her cheeks marred with pink, she nodded for me to continue. "During my time in Nibleheim, I found my roots. My roots are to the Ancients – the Cetra, like your people. Aerith, your people are my people. We are one and the same."

Aerith was silent, her lips pressed tightly together. "Mother told me that the world belonged to the Cetra, and that the stupid humans took it away from them. You and I are both inheritors of this planet."

"Sephiroth, what are you saying?" Aerith's eyes, not once, left mine. I had her undivided attention, which just put a spark to my ego. "Get to the point."

"My point, Aerith," I released her hand and wrapped both of my arms around her waist, pulling her close for a tight embrace. She released a breath, surprised by my impulsive action, and placed both her hands against my chest. It was an act of defense, to brace herself.

She rested her head against my chest, closing her eyes lightly. I waited for the wind to die down before continuing. "Is to rid this planet of what ails it."

Eyes wide, she pushed away from me, staring at me unbelievingly. "What are you saying?" Her voice was but a whisper.

"I'm saying I will destroy this world's people, and reign as God." I had such confidence. But no number of confidence could've protected me from her next words.

"You idiot!" It was my turn to stare at her in disbelief. "You can't possibly think that killing everyone on this planet will save it!"

Her hands were tight fists, eyes flaring with a deadly rage. She was angry. I was close to falling to my knees in fear, not wishing to fall victim to her wrath. That was when I found my second wind and countered.

"You wish to keep the planet the way it is and let it die?" I questioned, my own irritation showing forth.

"No, that's not what I mean." She shook her head.

"No, that's exactly what you mean!" My voice rose a level higher. She looked away, pouting, upset about my counter attack. "You wish death upon our people and the planet! How can you call yourself a Cetra?"

She glared daggers at me, but I ignored them, now getting to the point. "Which is why, Aerith, to save your soul and the souls of the Life Stream," I knelt on one knee, taking her hand in mine, holding it firmly, but not firm enough to hurt her, "join me."

Her anger fell away, replaced by an unreadable feeling. I smiled, believing that victory was mine. "Join me, Aerith. Be my Goddess, and together we will govern over this world. We will be eternally bound – saviors of the planet! I can't do it alone. I need you by my side. Please-"

My head thrown harshly to the side, cheek stinging, I stared into the distance, stunned by what had just happened.

Aerith's voice was soft, her hair casting a shadow over her eyes. Her hand still in mine, I could feel her trembling. "I…" She spoke with a shaking voice, close to tears. "I will never be… with you…"

I glanced over at her, my cheek now starting to numb from her slap. "I will never be with a man who wants to kill these people. Most of which are innocent of being punished." Choking on held back tears, she leaned her head back, glowering down at me. "You're nothing but a homicidal psychopath!! Why would I want to be with a murderer like you!?"

She tugged her hand out of my grip and stumbled back, tears spilling down her cheeks. "I HATE YOU!"

Aerith turned and fled from my sight. My heart was throbbing, a shadow cast over me, right as the sun finally set. The moon was pale, casting fake shadows along the forest.

After a moment's silence, mother returned to my side, filling the gaping hole in my heart with sweet love. _I told you_, she cooed. _The girl must die._

Images of the woman lingered like the sweet taste of honey upon my tongue. Her laughter my only music in the night. I echoed my mother's wishes, nodding once, the moon's light forcing a great shadow upon my form. I was alone. Aerith would not have me.

Turning, I stared out at the swirling depths of the sea, my heart broken. Her words echoed in the deepest crevices of my mind.

**I hate you.**

It was then I decided, "Aerith must die."

-End-


End file.
